A family business with heart
since 1959
The history of Hotel Wagrainerhof
Located right in the center of Wagrain, surrounded by the mountains of the Salzburg region, Hotel Wagrainerhof today stands for warm hospitality, a family atmosphere, quality, enjoyment, and holiday moments that stay in your memory. What is now a modern 4-star family, sports, ski, and wellness hotel began in 1959 with great courage, hard work, and a clear vision.
1959 and 1960
In 1959, Karl Rötzer I bought the former Gasthof Neuwirt, laying the foundation for today’s Hotel Wagrainerhof. In the same year, the old butcher shop and the old inn were demolished. In 1959 and 1960, Hotel Wagrainerhof was built on this site with 50 rooms and around 100 beds, its own butcher shop, an à la carte restaurant, and a small sauna area. For that time, this was a major step forward and a real innovation for tourism in Wagrain.
1961
In 1961, Karl Rötzer I and Elfriede Rötzer senior got married. From that point on, they managed the Wagrainerhof together with great dedication, heart, and entrepreneurial flair. Karl Rötzer I was a master butcher and farmer. He took care of purchasing and breeding the animals, the slaughtering, and the sale of high-quality meat products in the in-house butcher shop. They supplied ski huts, hotels, businesses, and the local population. Naturally, only the best meat products from their own slaughter were used in their own hotel and restaurant. Bulls and pigs in particular were kept in their own livestock breeding facility.
1963
From early on, the Wagrainerhof was not just a hotel, but also a meeting point for locals, guests, and clubs. In 1963, the large dining and event hall was built. It served hotel guests for breakfast and half-board and simultaneously became a lively venue for events. In winter, special program highlights took place there daily: the popular “5 o’clock tea” at 5:00 PM, which can be seen as a precursor to today’s après-ski, and live music and dancing with a band or DJ from 9:00 PM.
Tourism in Wagrain also developed strongly during this period. Winters were shaped by the emerging ski tourism, and summers by bus tours and hiking tourism. Karl Rötzer I recognized the importance of this development early on and also invested in the Wagrain Lift Company, founded in 1966. In doing so, he supported a touristic development that still shapes Wagrain today.
1967, 1971 and 1972
In 1967, another special feature was added to the house with the construction of a bowling alley. In 1971, additional land was purchased for livestock breeding, and in 1971 and 1972, a new stable was built. In the following years, the hotel was continuously renovated, improved, and invested in to increase guest comfort step by step.
1979 to 1982
With Karl Rötzer II, the next generation entered the history of the house. From 1979 to 1982, he completed his apprenticeship as a butcher and then began working in the family business. He later passed his master’s examination and shaped the high quality and successful further development of the butcher shop and the gastronomic offerings. From this point on, the business was supported by three strong personalities: Karl Rötzer I took care of livestock breeding, animal purchasing, and the hotel; Elfriede Rötzer senior managed the reception, service, kitchen, and hotel; and Karl Rötzer II looked after the butcher shop and kitchen.
1988 to 1991
In 1988, Christine Rötzer joined the business. She took on tasks at the reception, at the bar, in service, and in the butcher shop sales. In 1989, Karl Rötzer III was born, followed by Martina Rötzer in 1990. In 1991, Karl Rötzer II and Christine Rötzer married. Together, they continued to run the family business, shaping it with hard work, commitment, and foresight.
1991 and 1994
Around 1991, a modern and larger sauna landscape with a relaxation room, sauna, steam bath, and fitness room was built. In 1994, an important decision followed: the butcher shop was closed. The location right in the center of Wagrain and the combination of a butcher shop and hotel in the same building were no longer ideal in the long run. Since then, the Rötzer family has focused entirely on the hotel, restaurant, and bar.
1994, 1996, 1997 to 2015
Also in 1994, the ground floor was extensively renovated. The kitchen was expanded, the restaurant was renovated and enlarged, the former Salettl Bar was built, and the reception was modernized. In 1996 and 1997, Karl Rötzer II took over the business. From 1996 to 2015, many further renovations, modernizations, and renewals followed. Rooms were redesigned, wellness areas improved, restaurant areas further developed, and in the background, many processes were adapted to increasing digitalization.
1997 to 2008
Important foundations for the future were also created around the hotel. In 1997, the Saag House was purchased and used initially as staff housing, and later also for parking areas. In 2000, the purchase of the Weiss House followed, which served as staff housing, parking space, a playground, and a building land reserve. In 2005 and 2006, there was a purchase and land exchange around the Ellmer House. In 2008, the Schusterwastl House and the Höller Houses were acquired and used for staff accommodation and parking areas. In 2014, the Mühlbacherhaus was additionally purchased and used as staff housing and a building land reserve.
2009 and 2010
With Karl Rötzer III and Martina Rötzer, the next generation began to actively take on responsibility. Karl Rötzer III joined the business in 2009. He started as a chef, progressed to sous-chef, later took on roles as bar manager and in restaurant management, and completed his training as an F&B Manager in 2018. Today, he is the Managing Director and responsible for the F&B area, future planning, marketing, and construction.
Martina Rötzer joined the business as a receptionist in 2010 and later became the Reception Manager. Today, she is the Managing Director and leads the reception. Together, Martina Rötzer and Karl Rötzer III stand for the further development of the Wagrainerhof into the future – with respect for history and a clear vision for the coming years.
2016
In 2016, Elisabeth Reiter, the partner of Karl Rötzer III, joined the business. She started at the reception and in service and today manages the entire housekeeping for the three houses: Wagrainerhof, Centerhouse, and Hubertus.
2016
A particularly major milestone in the history of the house was the year 2016. At that time, Hotel Wagrainerhof employed around 20 staff members. In the same year, the hotel was extensively expanded. 23 additional rooms were created, giving the Wagrainerhof a total of 63 rooms. Furthermore, the Sky Relax World, the indoor pool, new sauna areas, relaxation areas, the Skybar, a children’s playroom, an enlarged buffet and dining hall, and the bar “The People’Z” were built. This extension permanently changed the Wagrainerhof and turned it into the modern 4-star hotel that guests know and appreciate today.
2016 to 2019
Also in 2016, the Gasthof Hubertus was purchased. The à la carte restaurant was continued until 2019, and the room rentals continued as an annex of Hotel Wagrainerhof. In 2019, parts of the rooms in the Hubertus were rebuilt. Today, there are 11 rooms and 3 apartments there.
2018 to 2021
In 2018, the old Atomic ski factory hall in Wagrain and the current Spar site were purchased. These areas are used for parking, a petting zoo, storage, and as a building land reserve, among other things. In the same year, the Försterhaus was also acquired, which is also used for parking and the petting zoo. Lucas Reiter was born in 2018, followed by Sebastian Reiter in 2021.
2021 to 2023
In 2021, the business was restructured. Wagrainerhof GmbH, Rötzer GmbH, and Rötzer Holding GmbH were formed from Rötzer GmbH & Co KG. During the COVID winter of 2021, the dining restaurant for house guests was also renovated. In 2022, Indoor Minigolf Wagrain was created in the old Atomic hall – a weather-independent leisure option for families, groups, locals, and guests. In 2023, Centerhouse GmbH was founded and Centerhouse Wagrain was built. It serves partly as staff housing and partly as a guest house with a total of 40 rooms.
2023 to 2025
Investment also continued in the main building. In 2023, the rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors of the existing building were renovated. In 2024, the relaxation rooms and the Skybar were expanded. In 2025, the redesign and expansion of the buffet and reception followed.
Today
Today, Hotel Wagrainerhof, Restaurant Wagrainerhof, and the bar “The People’Z” stand for lived hospitality, quality, and connection. For decades, the Wagrainerhof has been a popular place for locals and guests. Here, people have eaten, celebrated, danced, laughed, and also said their goodbyes together. Countless weddings, birthdays, confirmations, baptisms, anniversaries, company parties, club celebrations, and funeral meals have taken place in the house. The Wagrainerhof was and is a place that brings people together.
The house has also made culinary history. Restaurant Wagrainerhof was one of the first restaurants in Wagrain to have homemade pizza on the menu as early as the 1960s and 1970s. This mixture of down-to-earthness, quality, openness, and further development still shapes the business today.
From the former inn with 50 rooms, a modern 4-star hotel in the heart of Wagrain has developed through hard work, major investments, and strong family cohesion. In the past, hikers, skiers, and bus tourists were the main target groups. Today, the Wagrainerhof is a holiday home for many different guests: families with children, couples, groups of friends, regular guests, companies, groups, skiers, wellness guests, active holidaymakers, and gourmets.
In winter, the focus is on alpine skiing in Snow Space Salzburg and Ski amadé. Especially during the holidays, many families spend their ski vacation at Hotel Wagrainerhof. In the weeks before Christmas, in January, and in March, groups of friends, couples, and corporate groups enjoy the special winter atmosphere in Wagrain. In summer, the Wagrainerhof is a house for everyone who loves mountains, nature, enjoyment, wellness, and time together – from families with babies and toddlers to couples and friends, as well as groups and company outings.
The values of the house have grown over the decades and yet have remained clear: genuine hospitality, warmth, down-to-earthness, quality, reliability, and a family holiday feeling. It is important to the hosts that guests feel welcome, well-cared for, and looked after from the very first moment. The Wagrainerhof should not just be a beautiful place to stay, but a home away from home – personal, honest, cozy, and full of beautiful moments in the mountains of the Salzburg region.
Today, several family members hold responsibility in the business. Martina Rötzer is the Managing Director and leads the reception. Karl Rötzer III is the Managing Director and is responsible for the kitchen, service, bar, construction, planning, marketing, financing, and maintenance. Christine Rötzer takes care of the back office, accounting, finance, payroll, service, and HR management. Elisabeth Reiter leads the housekeeping. Karl Rötzer II decisively shaped the business over many years and is now retired.
In 2026, the Rötzer family’s businesses employ around 60 staff members. Thus, a versatile company has grown from the former family business – and yet the family character has remained palpable to this day.
Future
There are also clear plans for the future. In 2027, the 3rd floor of the existing building is to be rebuilt and renovated. Additionally, another floor is planned, which will increase the total number of rooms to 71. A large playground is to be created on the flat roof on the 5th floor. Furthermore, a redesign of the facade, new balconies and terraces, and a conservatory directly in the à la carte restaurant area are planned. In 2028, the construction of a parking garage directly opposite the hotel with around 100 parking spaces is planned. For 2030, further expansions in the areas of wellness, children’s area, rooms, and Skybar are intended.
In this way, the Wagrainerhof remains in motion – with respect for its own history, with responsibility for the next generation, and with the aim of giving guests special holiday moments in the future as well.
The Wagrainerhof has been a family business with heart since 1959. A house that has grown with Wagrain. A place where tradition and modernity come together. And a hotel where guests should feel what the Rötzer family has lived for generations: genuine hospitality, honest quality, and the joy of welcoming people.